SF:Chinatown nonprofit scrutinized over ties to mayor

[RandySF]

Hours before City Administrator Ed Lee was formally appointed San Francisco's mayor in January, a whiteboard in an executive conference room at the Chinatown Community Development Center held a drawing of City Hall and read: "Picture this ... Mayor Ed Lee."

Now the man whose name was written in bold green letters on that board will decide whether to approve an $8 million contract for the nonprofit, which has earned national recognition for its affordable housing work and is one of the most respected organizations in Chinatown.

But with the rise of a longtime friend, who is now running to keep the city's top job, the group is facing scrutiny over its possible political activity and use of taxpayer funds to advocate for the Central Subway project. That includes being paid $25,000 to conduct one community meeting and getting $115,000 to manage tenant relocation, including writing a report recommending itself for an even larger $8 million city contract, city documents show.



http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/21/BAD71L4H4G.DTL#ixzz1YeufOvrC